1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for successively rolling up laminar sheets of food material such as cheese or ham each in a tubular shape.
2. Description of Background Art
No mechanical apparatus has been developed, which is effective in practical use to roll up laminar sheets of food material each in a tubular sheet and such processing has necessarily been carried out by hand labor. Processing by hand labor has sometimes led to unevenness of the individual products and even to an unsanitary product.
In view of such problems, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a novel apparatus developed on the basis of various experimental studies to roll up laminar sheets of food material with a high efficiency not by hand labor but mechanically.
The object set forth above is achieved, according to this invention, by an apparatus comprising a plurality of rolling-up rollers being same in diameter as well as in revolution speed. These rolling-up rollers are arranged on a concentric circle at a terminal zone of a conveyor for laminar sheets of food material. They come in contact with an outer surface of said laminar sheet of food material and thereby roll up each of these laminar sheets of food material in a tubular shape. The outermost rolling-up roller of said assembly serves also as a driving roller and the remaining rolling-up rollers are adapted to swing upward without interrupting rotation thereof. Such swinging upward occurs around the rolling-up roller adjoining said rolling-up roller serving also as the driving roller so that the remaining rolling-up rollers may be opened outward.
A mechanism to open said remaining rolling-up rollers outward comprises a cylinder and an elevating device adapted to be actuated by said cylinder. Said mechanism causes a pair of bearing plates rotatably supporting all the rolling-up rollers to swing upward, i.e., to be opened outward as said elevating device is actuated by said cylinder. This swinging upward of said bearing plates and therefore of said remaining rolling-up rollers occurs around said rolling-up roller adjoining said rolling-up roller serving also as the driving roller. A driving mechanism to rotate said assembly of rolling-up rollers and said elevating device to open said remaining rolling-up rollers outward are placed on one side of the apparatus with respect to a conveying direction. The respective rolling-up rollers have their circumferential surfaces appropriately roughed to prevent said laminar sheet of food material from slipping on and sticking to said circumferential surfaces.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and of the scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art form this detailed description.